Does anyone else find balancing the checkbook pure hell? I lost sleep last night because of it. I've tried asking the bank to help (nearly started crying when she said she really couldn't do much) and I don't have any friends I can ask to help. This is a most embarrassing problem and I feel so alone. I don't know anyone who has this disability (the checkbook or the ADD). Any suggestions? I don't have ADD, and I find balancing my checkbook difficult, so I don't balance my checkbook. I keep all my receipts in an envelope that I have written a check for, or paid with my debit card, or ATM. I keep an envelope for deposits I have made. Then at the end of the week, I subtract the receipts/purchases/bills paid from the deposits. NOt real accurate, but it helps me. Just an idealuann - thanks for your comments. I've tried that but as a person with ADD (as others may attest to), keeping receipts for longer than the trip home is a difficult task. I do have a box that I put receipts in but by the time I've actually gone around and dug through coat pockets, pants, purse, wallet and tables and floors and shopping bags looking for all of them, too much time has gone by to do the math.
One thing I AM going to try is to survive without the debit card. My daughter agreed to "hide" it for me. Otherwise, I have to write a check. We'll see if this works in today's cashless society.
BTW, I found my error with the checkbook. I had entered a check twice in the register! But this whole procedure shouldn't take over a week and it shouldn't be that difficult. It caused me great agony - let me tell you!
I find it hard to find a time to sit down and actually do it, but I am also a little OCD (or have developed OCD behavior) to cope with my ADD and have found that microsoft money helps me with that because I don't really have to do anything but type in the receipts when I get home.
Then when my bank statement is ready i just download it from my bank and voila, Money balances for me!
Of course if you don't enter your receipts regularly it doesn't work. But I find it easier to spend five minutes plugging them in each day or every other day rather than trying to focus for an hour or more on it at the end of the billing cycle.
I don't see mine. My dad takes care of all my money for me. Cave Rat - I'm 46 years old. My parents are in their 70s and live 2200 miles away. Having them do my checkbook isn't feasible. While it would be great for them to take it over, there's something to be said for being independent and responsible. I would feel more of a failure if I hadn't even tried to do this on my own. Granted, I may really suck at maintaining my checkbook but something inside of me makes me keep going - keep trying. "Maybe next month I'll be able to balance it" I keep telling myself.While I understand your difficulties with ADD and all the others you've mentioned, perhaps your dad can sit down with you and you can manage your money together. I have my daughter here to help me. Then you could feel some control. And after all, our parents don't live forever.
i had to give over that duty to my spouse.
but i do keep a bill pay account.
and i put my money on those prepaid cards from a bank
$500 only costs me $6 vs numerous nsf charges @ $25 or more per occurance
im parioniod of someone stealing my wallet so i keep ten dollars in it and a used card it.
the real card i keep in a ziplock bag in my trunk its easy to get too espescially when i need gas just pop the trunk swide and toss back in the trunk
wierd i know but i dont loose it that way
i don spend too much in the gas stations just gas
and confidence of no nsf
-------------------------
what i mean is
i keep a checking account just for bill pay - no chance of impulse spending changing the total 2480 is my bills 2500 is kept in the account until they all clear
the rest I put on a pre paid card. this keeps me having over draft fees
so i dont balance the registery i just total out the bills for bill pay
i also use a budget software that helps me shave my gasoline and food budgets --------i mean i make a budget of $200 month for food and gasoline and then use a seperate card for that too
the other cards are my personal money
and savngs accout for my savings
it helps to have direct deposit
that way i just go to the bank when i need a new budget card or am out of spending card
In case my dad cannot do it no more, my sister or brother will take over the job.
It has been a good system. Bills are paid first and whats left, I get to pocket.
I have this problem also. I've tried to keep a balanced checkbook but I either lose the checkbook, or forget to use it.
MENTAL MATH IS YOUR FRIEND!!!!! (and so is online banking)
While it isn't entirely accurate I keep an idea of how much money is in my account when I spend money.
If I lose track of how much I have in my head all I have to do is go online and log into my bank account to find out how much I have.
If I have $250, and I spend $64.82 on groceries, $250-65 = 185, if then I get $15 in gas, I have $160. At the end of the day if I've lost track I can log back onto my account and get the new total in my bank account.
The easiest way to make this feasable is to make sure you never go under $100, then you won't have to worry about checks bouncing and the approximate amounts of money you have in your account will always be 'good enough'.
I hope this works for you, just make sure to keep a mental running tally rather than trying to keep a book recorded (don't feel bad I can't do it either)
OMG
I wen to my bank and talked to a rep. not a teller
i can just text a message to a ####### with BAL or HIST
and my account texts me back with my balance or last 5 trasnactions.
woo hoo
an impulsive spenders day dream come true
i always know my balanceto around $30 but this is right on the money
plus i skip using my card for 2 days to if everything clears
but this new text thing is really cool
That is awesome, I need to see if my bank does thatWell, so far, so good with the checkbook. I have cut back on the usage of my debit card. My therapist suggested that I only write checks or use cash. I must admit that it is easier to see where my money is going when I have it all in writing. Of course, the debit card hasn't been eliminated entirely but it's better. AND, I was able to balance my checkbook this past month. Yippee!Add to that the medication to help with impulsive spending, it can only get better.
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